2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars announced

Thanks to the generous support of Stanley and Karen Pigman and Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (RCTF), engineering researchers are receiving additional annual funding to enhance the research priorities and programs of the Pigman College of Engineering.

Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment supports faculty, research, graduate students, facilities and research infrastructure in the Pigman College of Engineering. This year, the endowment made $235,000 in funds available for distribution. 

The Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment creates three areas of opportunity for faculty and post-doctoral scholars. Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Eminent Scholars, senior faculty researchers who are selected based upon sustained superior performance, can receive five-year term-limited funding of up to $50,000. Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars, promising junior faculty, can receive five-year term-limited funding of up to $25,000. For post-doctoral scholars, to be known as Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellows, up to $20,000 of annual funding is available for stipend enhancement or other research-enabling endeavors.

2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Eminent Scholars

• Jeffrey Todd Hastings., associate dean for research and graduate studies and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Expanding the Pigman College of Engineering’s Research in Quantum Sensing."

2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars

• Martha Grady, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Laser Shock Peening of Additively Manufactured Titanium.” (RENEWAL)
• Michael Quinlan Hovish, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Processing of Natural and Polymeric Materials."
• Abdullah-Al-Zubaer Imran, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, supporting the project titled, "ConduitGen: Physics-guided Generative AI for Geologically Realistic Cave Conduit Generation."
• Dan  Fries, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Plasma Treatment of Biological Interfaces."
• Ali Moradi, assistant professor in the Department of Mining Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Intelligent Surface Mining - Integration of Cyber-Physical System and Metaverse.” (RENEWAL)
• Alexandra Paterson, assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Departments of Chemical and Materials Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Stable Plastic Mixed-Conductor Electronics.” (RENEWAL)
• Savio Poovathingal, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Predicting Uncontrolled Heating of Electric Batteries.” (RENEWAL)
• Christine Trinkle, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Advanced Artificial Lung Research.” (RENEWAL)
• Samantha Zambuto, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Reproductive Tissue Engineering.” (RENEWAL)
• Jonathan Zuidema, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, supporting the project titled, “Biomaterials for Nervous System Repair.” (RENEWAL)

2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellows

• Md Zahid Hasan, postdoctoral researcher in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Portable Optical Spectroscopy and Novel Algorithms to Investigate Metabolic and Vascular Changes in Small Animals In Vivo."
• Mubashir  Hussain, postdoctoral researcher in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Noninvasive Optical Monitoring of Cerebral Blood Flow and Intracranial Pressure in Preterm Infants."
• Afsaneh  Mahanipour, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Computer Science, supporting the project titled, "Optimizing Cyber-Physical Systems with a Novel Automated Data Processing Pipeline."
• Sarah Garcia Pava, postdoctoral researcher in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Advancing Brain-Computer Interface Research for Rehabilitation."
• Bhoj Raj  Thapa, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Advance Assistive Technologies in Brain Machine Interfaces by Using Neural Signal Processing and Machine Learning."
• Rajashekara Sarvesha, postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing, supporting the project titled, "Advanced Cold Spray Coatings for Enhanced Durability of Cutting Tools."
• Jing  Yan, postdoctoral researcher in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Development of a Portable Optical Assay for Metabolic Profiling and Personalized Radiation Therapy Response Prediction in Breast Cancer."
• Xiaoyue  Yang, postdoctoral researcher in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Advancing post-doctoral research in Nanomedicine & Immunoengineering."

The endowment also provides up to $10,000 per year in stipend enhancement or other research-enabling endeavors for talented graduate students, known as Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Graduate Fellows. This year, eight graduate students were selected to receive this supplementary support.

2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Graduate Fellows

• Rosemary E. Alden, Ph.D. student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Advanced Computational and Experimental Methods based on HIL." (RENEWAL)
• Ifteher Alom, Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, supporting the project titled, "Fighting Robotext Scams with Privacy-Preserving Short Message Authentication in Mobile
  Networks." (RENEWAL)
• Steven Poore, Ph.D. student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, supporting the project titled, "Advances in Electric Grid Reliability Research." (RENEWAL)

In addition, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment provides support for RCTF-compliant cost-sharing for externally funded programs targeted at high-consequence, high-impact research that has a potential to stimulate socioeconomic benefits including job creation, higher standards of living and expansion of the knowledge-based economy. The endowment also allows for research infrastructure support, like equipment, materials and supplies and other University-permittable research related expenses.

The endowment will grow over the coming years, with annual allocations growing to over $550,000 per year.

The Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment is a part of the RCTF’s Endowment Match Program, which creates research support and opportunities at Kentucky universities. The RCTF is administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education and is designed to advance the economic success of Kentucky and its citizens through education and research. To qualify for the program, an endowment must support initiatives in STEM and health sciences and relate to one of UK’s eight Research Priority Areas.